Aeroplane.



J. POTTS.

AEROPLANE.

APPLIOATION FILED Nov. s, 1908.

Patented May .25, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J POTTS. ABROPLANE. APPLIOATION rILED Nov. s, 1908.

Patented May 25, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

rse/W J POTTS.

AEROPLANE.

' APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9, 190B. 923,075. Patented May 25, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET a.

Stroom for,

@wi/Imaam@ ?0 J. POTTS.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 9, 190e.

Patented May 25, ,1909,

` 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

m HUM El 1Samu c 4MM, J 2PM@ @XH/[messa UNITED STATES PATENT oEErcE.

vJOHN PIOTTS, Ol WINGHE STER, OHIO.

AEROPLANE 'Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2 5, 1909.

Application filed November 9, 1908. Serial No. 461,724.

j To all whom it may concern.'

Beit known that Il, JonN Po'r'rs, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Win-chester, 1n the' county of Adams and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful .lmprovements in .frei-oplanes,- and l do declare the following'to be a full, clear, and exact de- 'scription of the invention, such as will enable ing through their parallel members 4 and 5, as shown in Fig. 8. Both frames are subothei's skilled in the art to which it apper- 'vice is elevated, propelled and its direction controlled.

A still further object of the invention is the construction of the frame which enables nie to produce a relatively light machine. of this character whereby less power is required yto sustain the machine in the air.

f vWith the foregoing and other objects in descri ed and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1' is a side elevation; Fig. 2 is a front elevation;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinalsection; Fig. 4 is a` plan view with the upright frame removed and parts of the machine 1n section; Fig. 51s

`a cross sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig.

4; Fig. 6 is a detail ragmentaryplan view of the shaft shifting mechanism; Fig. 7 is a side elevation looking in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a detail longitudinal section of the center brace bar disclosing the connectionv of' 'these parts with the frame; Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view showing the manner or' attaching the canvas; Fig. 10 is a detail side elevation of a modification with parts in section; Fig. 11 is a plan view partly in section of the niodiiicationshown in Figli).

Referring more especially to the drawings, 1 and 2 represent the mainframes of the niastantially alike in every respect and are spaced apart as is shown in Fig. 4 by cross bars or struts .6 arranged adjacent the ends of the frames for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

As before stated, the main frames 1 and 2 eachy comprise a pair of parallel members through which thev upiights 3 pass and are secured therein by means of cross rivets or bolts 7 passing through the reduced ends S of the uprights.

.Extending outwardly from each frame adpicent its center are cross bars 9 which are )ridged 'from side to side`oi" the inain frames as shown Ain Fig. 5, and are connected at their outer ends tothe central portion of an elliptical riin 10.. These cioss bars are supplemented by similar outwardly projecting members or-- supports 11 extending diagonally from either' end of the `frameN and arev vconnected at their outer ends as show-n to the riin`10. Each of the cross bars 9 and 11 are curved at their outer ends as at 12 in order to elevate the rim from the normal plane of the frame to Vwhich it is connected in order that an inclinedV surface may be given to the canvas 13 which is secured to the rim,A )referably in the manner shown in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be-more Jfully chine which are connected together by uprights 3 spaced around the frames and pass- Fig. 8. i tfthis point, it may be well to state that canvas has been herein specilied as the material is light, strong and durable, but it will be understood that any otherinaterial which may better serve the purpose may be employed in its stead. The inner ends of the cross bars 11, as well as the inner ends of similar cross bars 14, are connected to the struts 6 as is clearly shown in Fig. 4 so as to T prevent any wabbling of the cross bars and the rims to which they are connected.

In order to form a rigid structure and to prevent the parallel relation oi" the rims from changing, I provide suitable uprights 15 arranged at intervals around the circumference ofv the rim so as to connect the saine, and in order to prevent'the rims from sliding, l provide strain bars 16 which extend diagonally from the upper frame 2 tothe lower rim 10 and intermediate the length of these bars connect the two vertically opposite cross bars land thestrain bar 16 with torsion cable 17 which is connected to the bar 16 interme-v diate its length.

This torsion cable extends downwardly from its connection with the -lower cross bar to 'which it is attachednand lUS terminates in a connection with a diagonally projecting strut 18 connected at its upper end to the lower frame 1 and at its outer lower end to the cable 17, and also to a strain cable 19 which is stretched from the lower rim 10 to a connection with the lower end oi' the strut 18, and from thence in a horizont-al direction is carried to the engineframe 20. A plurality of these lstruts 18 are arranged around the lower frame 1 and are connected in a similar manner to the one justdescribed to the engine frame 20 by the cables 19.

Suitable strain wires 21 and 22, v23 and 24, assist. in holding the struts 18 in propell position so as to maintain the strain of the cable 19 taut and thus assure the proper position of the lower rim. ln the struct-ure to be described hereinafter, applicant. will refer to the upper and lower planes as including the rims, cross bars and canvas, which covers them, for purposes of convenience.

'In the forward end of the machine and arranged between the two planes, i provide two parallel uprights 25 which are connected to the upper and lower rims 10l and have journaled .intermediate their length the fan shaft 26, upon which the two fans 27 are keyed adjacent the ends thereof and are adapted to rotate in a vertical plane. `Each fan has its rear half incased in a suitablecas-` ing 28, which is supported at its top and bottom by the rims -10 and intermediate its height by a rigid bail 29,:which is arranged for the purpose of supporting the driving shaft 30 to be hereinafter described.

As shown'in Figs. 43 and 5, the engine frame is supported upon hanger members 31 which depend from the lower main frame 1, being secured thereto in the manner shown in Fig. 8 by. bolts 32.

The frame is braced by. diagonal braces 33 and the entire engine frame and its coperating'mechanical arts are covered by a canvas shield 34 as is s iown in Fig. 1. Extending rearwardly from the en ine frame 20 is a shaft sup ort 35 upon tie end of which is supporte a bridge piece 36 carrying a step bearin 37 in which the lower end f of Athe vertica fan shaft 38 is journaled. Theup'per end of this fan shaft is journaled in a bearing 39 carried by the lower face of a :cross bar 40 b ridged across the under side of the lower run.

Keyed to the fan shaft 38 is a pair of fans 41 which are separated some distance apart so as to make roon for the driving shaft 44. The fans 27 as will be hereinafter described are adapted for rotation in either direction for the forward end of the machine, while the fans 41 as will .be hereinafter described, are adapted for rotation in either direction to determine the direction oi horizontal movement of the l machine. The Fans 41,`as well as the fans 27, are mcased in casings 45 and the shaft 43 purpose of raising or lowering the ranged'l truss bar 47 which extends from the f yengine frame 2() merging to a point at the end of the lmember-35 to which they are connected.

On a platform 48 carried bythe engine frame 2() I mount the driving engine 49 which may be of any suitable type, and as shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7, said engine is provided with a transversely extending shaft 50-journaled in its outer end in an upright bearing standard 51 carried by the platform 48. oppositely disposed 'beveled gears 52 and 53 which are keyed thereto on opposite sides of the beveled pinions 54 and 55, the former heilig carried by the shaft 44 and the latter being carried b v the end of the shaft 30, and

both being adapted to be swung laterally by mechanism which will now be described. As both of these shifting mechanisms are the same, l shall describe only one. Extending u wardly from the platform 48 is a bearing p ate 56 having/a slide way 57 in which the bearing member 58 is adapted to reciprocate, as will be clearly understood from an inspection of Figs. 6 and 7. This bearing member is provided with downwardly extending pins 59 arranged on opposite sides of a central olpening 60 and adapted to engage a bearing s eeve 61 in which the guiding shaft is adapted to rotate. This construction is adapted to permit the free swinging of theshaft with# out binding in its supporting bearings.

A similarly arranged bearing is indicated at 62 carried by the upright 46 and adapted to support the shaft '44 and another similar bearing indicated `at 63 is carried by. the bail 29 and ada ted to support the shaft'30. The teeth of all) the beveled gears meshing with each other are made relatively deep so as to provide for slight differences of the relative positions of meshing gears so that there will be nodanger of slipping.

The bearing elements move v.laterally to shift thegears 54 and 55 in their accompanying driving shaft, each by a lever 64 which is pivoted at its lower end to the bearing plate 56 and is connected to the bearin member 58, intermediate its length by a 1i 65. At the upper end of the lever, a pawl66 is ada ted to engage any one of the adjusting note les 67 formed in theupper part ofthe segmental rack 68. It will thus be `seen that the pinions 54 and 55 may be readily shifted and held in shifted position by the mechanism just described so as to reverse therotation of the fans 27 and 41. 1.

The opposite side of the engine shaft 50 is journaled in bearings 69 carried by the platform 48 and intermediate the bearings 69 and the engine, there is secured to the shaft a The shaft 50 is provided with a pair ofpair of belt or sprocket wheels 70, both of which carry the driving chains 71 and 72 leading in oppositedirections to thel driven shafts 73 and 74, respectively; These shafts Q are journaledin bearings supported upon the platform 48 and carry at each opposite end the propelling fans 75, which are incased by casings 76 covering their entire upper half.

e To reverse the direction of rotation of these fans, itis necessary to reverse the engine, as shown in the drawings herewith, but it will be clearly understood that I may provide suitable clutch mechanism for reversing their rotation, such addition being the result of ex ediency in practice and mechanical skill' o n y and not formin a part of this invention.

Depending from t e engine frame at either end thereof and on opposite sides of the same, I provide supporting wheels supporting brackets 77 upon which the wheels 78 are journaled so as to support the device when running along the ground in rising or when descending.

I n the modification shown in Figs. 10 and 11, the steering wheels 41 have been substituted by a rudder 79 mounted upon the shaft 3 8 and controlled by steering rods 80 which extendy forwardly to the engine platform and i may be controlled by the operator.

From the foregoing description taken inv connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details o f construction may be resorted to Without departing from the principle or sacrificing an of the advantages of the invention, as dein claims. I claim as my invention ed in the appended 1. In a device of the class described, a pair of parallel planes, a frame supported from the lower-plane, propelling means carried upon said frame, means for maintaining the 1 parallel relation of the two planes, meansfor bracing the lower plane to the frame, steer- Iing mechanism carried by the frame and means arranged between the planes for de planes for steering the device.

3. In a device of the character described, a pair of arallel planes, an engine sup iorting frame epending from the lowest p ane, a platform thereon, an engine on the platform, a plurality of propelling wheels arranged on eitherside of the engine and mounted in Wheels being driven bythe engine, a plurality tween the planes, means for driving saidfans, a plurality of steering fans arranged below the lowest plane, means for. driving said steering fans, andmeans controlledby the operator for reversing both the steering and the elevation determining fans. v

In testimony whereof I have`hereunto set my hand in presence ofjtwosubscribing wit- IleSSeS. t

JOHN POTTS.

Witnesses:

B. G. COWL,

Ea EDMoNsToN, Jr.

bearings on the platform said propelling" element and means arranged below the of elevation determining fans arranged be- 

